


Flares

by OnceuponaDecember



Category: The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Falling in love is tremendously easy, Gally is actually a pretty good friend, M/M, Newt has a secret, Teresa is cunning, Thomas is stupidly selfless
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-04
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-18 05:59:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5901004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OnceuponaDecember/pseuds/OnceuponaDecember
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Sor…” he started to apologise, turning towards the door, but he stopped abruptly. He had to admit, that Gally was partly right. The guy really looked like he was ready for bed with his striped trousers and loose, old turtle neck shirt. But it wasn’t Simon, not at all.</p>
<p>A blonde man was standing in front of him with his mouth slightly hanging open.</p>
<p>The new neighbour just wanted milk, but he gets much more than he expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

" _Just one more try to make his hair look at least close to decent_ " Thomas thought looking in the mirror with a comb in his right hand. He knew it was useless, but he had to try.  
There was a soft knock on the door, but he didn’t really pay attention. He couldn’t be here yet. Gally will deal with Jehovah's Witnesses or anyone else, who’s standing outside.

“Hey Tom, your date has arrived!” cried Gally a minute later.

“Fuck!” Thomas cursed. He was only wearing a pair of boxers, so he quickly put a shower gown on, and rushed to the door to apologise himself for a couple more minutes. As he went past Gally he heard the other boy mutter. “Your expectations are getting low Tom. This guy looks like he’s just heading to bed in his pyjamas.”

Thomas only punched his flatmate on the arm, jumping forward to avoid the counter attack. "Sod off." he said, before he turned to the entrance hall to greet Simon.

 

“Sor…” he started to apologise, turning towards the door, but he stopped abruptly. He had to admit, that Gally was partly right. The guy really looked like he was ready for bed with his striped trousers and loose old turtle neck shirt. But it wasn’t Simon, not at all.

 

A blonde man was standing in front of him with his mouth slightly hanging open.

 

***

 

“You’re not Simon.” accused Thomas, then cursed himself mentally for saying something that obvious.

 

“No, I’m not.” told the guy with a small smile. “But I can be, if you have some milk. I’m desperate.” he added with a thick British accent.

 

Thomas just stood there staring at the blonde, trying to figure out, who he was dealing with. The incomprehension must have been written on his face, because the boy helped him out.

 

“I’m the new neighbour. I’m dying to drink a proper tea, but I don’t have any milk.”

 

“Oh, OK. I get it.’ Sure, just wait there a sec.” Thomas rushed back in, heading towards the fridge, making a mental note to strangle Gally later. Maybe, when he’s sleeping. Or drunk. Or has his arms tied back. The poor English bloke just moved in and the first thing he learns without asking is that the guy next door is totally gay. America is crazy.

 

He grabbed the milk, took it to the door and passed it to his neighbour.

 

“Cheers.” said the blonde. “I’ll bring you another one tomorrow.”

 

“Bah, don’t bother.” whisked Thomas. “And I think we can set aside you playing Simon as well. Just because I’m too soft hearted. Next time I’ll be merciless.”

 

The boy chuckled. “I’ll let you get ready. Thanks again!” he said, before he went back to his flat. Thomas closed the door, looked up at the clock, then cursed.

 

***

 

Thomas was making breakfast. He was just about to fill his mug with a significant amount of coffee when there was a knock on the door. Anyone, who was outside could only hear the clash of the china hitting the floor and the variety of curses he used, to give an expression to his distress. When he opened the door he was holding a tea towel to stop the bleeding of his fare ill left arm.

 

“Hey...” started the new neighbour, but he stopped abruptly, when he saw Thomas’s state. “What the bloody hell happened?”

 

“I dropped the mug and I was stupid enough to think that I could catch it in mid-air. Apparently, I couldn’t and I ended up cutting myself with sharp piece that bounced back. Typical me.” he added with a smile to ease the situation.

 

“Ouch…I brought you a bottle of milk, but I don’t mind giving first aid, just to express how grateful I am.” joked the neighbour. “Do you have a first aid kit?”

 

Seeing Thomas’s blank expression he told “Don’t worry, I have plenty of stuff. I’ll be back in a sec. Just try not to bleed to death.” And with that, he disappeared.

 

He was, as he said, back in a minute with a large box full of medical stuff. Ha had several bandages, germ- killer, sling, adhesive- plaster and many more.

 

“Are you some sort of hipochondriach?” asked Thomas, before he could stop himself.

 

The boy only rolled his eyes. “Nope, I’m a physiotherapist. As a professional I’m always prepared to help out suicidal neighbours.”

 

“I’m not suicidal.” protested Thomas, trying to ignore on the other boy taking away the tea towel to examine his wound. He didn’t really like the sight of blood, especially not his own. “I’m only a bit jumpy. The guy I dated yesterday turned out to be a total prick. He started to get violent after his fourth drink, tried to drag me up to one of the rooms above the bar, insisting that I’ll enjoy being spanked and tied up, while I call him daddy. So I gave a run for my money. I thought he came back to try to talk things through. The idiot totally freaked me out.” finished Thomas only to look up and see the crimson shade of the boy’s ears. By that time he finished cleaning the cut on Thomas’s arm and started to put a patch on it neatly. He clearly avoided looking up.

 

“And now I might be the one who totally freaks YOU out” mumbled Thomas embarrassed. “You don’t really need to know my detailed love life.” He could bang his head to the wall. Twice. “I talk way too much.”

 

“I don’t mind.” said the blonde, looking up at Thomas for a second, before continuing his work. “I enjoy listening to people. Part of the job. Although my patients’ usually have less exciting stories... We’re done.” he declared. “Try not to chop yourself up next time.”

 

“Wow, thanks!” said Thomas examining his arm. “I would have made a really poor job with that.”

 

“It’s ok.” said the blonde.

 

“Gosh, I’ve never asked your name, have I?” realised Thomas.

 

“It’s Newt. Nice to meet you.”

 

“Can I express my gratitude with showing you round the town Newt? I know the best places to go to.” offered Thomas.

 

“Nah, I’m ok, thanks. I need to go now. See you around.” said Newt getting onto his feet and to the door. Thomas let him out with a “Thanks again. See ya.” not really knowing what to think.

 

***

 

Thomas was a bartender at one of the most popular places in town. The Glade. The Glade wasn’t exactly a gay bar, but they mostly had homosexual customers. They could be at ease there, without being offended or stared at. Thomas loved his workplace. He enjoyed chatting with the customers and he could check out the hot guys without calling attention.

 

He had several co-workers, including Gally, whom he has known since he was 8. They used to attend to the same school and they ended up being flatmates and colleagues. He was Thomas’s best friend, no matter how raw and rude the guy could be sometimes.

When he came out with being gay, Gally just shrugged saying “More chicks for me then.” Thomas was grateful for it. They started to work at the Glade two years after. They both needed the money and they had a permanent job there. Gally finished university and started to work as an architect assistant last year, but he still took a couple of night shifts, just for fun. Thomas became a cook, but he was still working full time at the Glade. He took a mixer course half a year after he started to work there, so he was pretty much one of the stars of the bar nowadays, making a show every single night.

The other two were Anna and Teresa. They were a couple for 7 months now. It took them long enough to figure their feelings out, but since then, they were inseparable. They always made elation, whenever they were there.

And then there was Justin. He met him at the mixer course and convinced him to come to work at the Glade. They were a perfect team. Making cocktails was an art for both of them, and they could do an amazing show together, throwing and spinning the bottles like jugglers.

Today he worked with Ben and Linda. Linda was very popular among the guys, maybe because she used to work at Hooters, so she had some ‘extras’ to give to the job. Ben was quiet and composed, but he could make the best Mai Tai on Earth. They had a crowded night, but fortunately, Simon was nowhere to be seen.

 

“See you next time Linda.” he said when they reached the girls house an hour after closing time.

 

“Thanks for walking me home again.” smiled Linda, giving him a peck on the cheek.

 

“No problem." answered Thomas shrugging. “I only did it, because Alby would kill us all, if something happened to you.” he added with a wink.

 

“Sure, you did.” Linda chuckled and went in.

 

It took Thomas half an hour to walk home. It was mid-January and the weather was rather chilly, but he didn’t really mind the cold. The elevator was broken again, so he took the stairs to the second floor. He fumbled a bit with his keys and went in, trying not to make too much noise. If woken, Gally could be Hulk himself, without the ugly purple pants.

He took a shower, went into his room and lay down. It was 3. 20 am, but he was too awake too sleep yet. He was reading an article about ‘The most popular winter soups’ on his cell, when he heard the first cry. Then came the next one. It was clearly distressed, so Thomas started to listen around. It came from the direction of the wall next to his bed. From the new neighbours flat. Thomas sat up, as the cries and shouts continued. “Is he in pain? Has something happened?” After 5 minutes, he decided to check on Newt. Maybe he needed help.

He put on a pair of trousers, sneaked out of his flat and softly knocked on the blonde’s door. He waited a minute, then knocked harder. He heard noises from the flat and shortly, the door opened a crack.

 

“Thomas?” Newt’s face was covered in sweat. He was wearing a robe that covered him for head to toe. He looked rather suspicious and drawn out.

 

“Sorry. I just heard noises and I wondered if you were in trouble.” babbled Thomas.

 

“I’m not. All is fine.’ answered the blonde immediately. Then, like he couldn’t help himself, he added quietly. “I just had a stupid nightmare.”

 

“Oh, OK. If you don’t want to go back to sleep, we can go for a walk. I just came back from my shift and I’m not very sleepy.” offered Thomas. He himself could always use a good, long walk, when he was upset or angry.

 

“No, no, I’m fine, don’t bother. Go back to sleep Tommy.” Newt replied almost immediately.

 

“No, I’d be happy to…” started the brunet, but Newt cut him short.

 

“Don’t you understand? I don’t need help, assistance, a walk or anything else. I just need you to live me alone. Please.” There was clear frustration in Newt’s voice, but he tried to mask it with the polite finish. “Thank you for checking on me. Good night!”

With that, he shut the door, leaving Thomas standing on the corridor alone.

 

***

 

“What on earth are you doing at 7 in the morning?” grumbled Gally the next day. “Not that I don’t like when you cook, but really. Baking in the morning after work? The mad confectioner in you started to take over control?” he teased.

 

“Yeah, a little voice was chanting in my head all night to make cookies.” replied Thomas.

 

Gally lifted an eyebrow. “What is this all about? I don’t have my birthday or anything.”

 

“It’s not for you, you shank!” snorted the brunette. “It’s for Newt. I think I was a bit forceful last night and I want to apologise.”

 

“Oh, man. You don’t really have to get into details with me you know. Who the hell is Newt by the way? I stuck down with Simon.” Gally looked a little annoyed, but Thomas knew he was interested by the way he cocked his head to the side.

 

“He’s not a date. He’s the new neighbour. You know the one, you accidentally informed about my sexual orientation a couple of days ago. You know, just because I’m gay I don’t wanna go out with every bloke in town.” said Thomas with mocked pique.

 

"OK, OK, don’t get so worked up shuckface! How would I know? You only told me you were forceful last night.” argued Gally.

 

“Point taken.” admitted the brunette. “But he’s only a nice neighbour. I’ve cut my arm a couple of days ago with a mug and he helped me to wrap it. He turned out to be a physiotherapist. Then this morning I wanted to help him, but I think I was too pushy. He clearly didn’t need any help. And I clearly don’t want to date anyone in the upcoming future. Simon was enough for a while. He wanted to spank me! And even if I did, he’s not my type and he’s most likely straight. I think that’s the reason he turned my every attempt down to get to know him better. Like being gay was contagious.”

 

“Wow, you talk a LOT man. I was only half asleep, but now I want to go back to bed and sleep for a week. Maybe you just bored him to death, that’s why he got rid of you.” Gally told between two yawns.

 

“Oh, shut up! I know you like my boring stories. I’m gonna put some of these into a box. You can have the rest.” Thomas said and watched as Gally’s face lit up with excitement. He was wolfing down the remainders by the time Thomas exited the door.

First he thought about knocking, but after a couple of minutes, he chickened out and left the box on the rug, with a note ‘ **Sorry** ’ written on a paper on the top. Then, he could finally go to sleep.

 

When he woke up it was 2 in the afternoon. His shift started at 6, so he had plenty of time to get ready. He decided to go for a run in the nearby park. He liked to keep himself fit. When he was closing the front door he saw his note stuck in the middle of it. Under his line there was another two. ‘ **Thank you for the brownies, very thoughtful of you. Nothing to say sorry about. Apologies for MY rudeness**! Newt’

 

Thomas tucked the piece of paper in his pocket and left for his running with a huge smile on his face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midnight walks, parties and pancakes. :)

The next couple of days passed averagely. Thomas didn’t meet Newt at all. He thought about him once or twice, wondering how he has settled in. It was not until the 5th of February, when they saw each other again. It was 4 am, and Thomas was heading home from the Glade. They celebrated Ben’s 25th birthday, so he was in a very good mood. And he was a bit tipsy, but still the most sober of them all. Gally had work to finish at the weekend, so he left around one. The elevator was broken again, so he took the stairs humming cheerfully. He didn’t really expect to bump into someone, when he took a turn. 

“Woah, sorry.” he apologised, looking up. Newt was standing in front of him, grabbing his arm to steady himself. 

“Tommy? What are you doing in here in the middle of the night?” the blonde asked, surprised. 

“I was at work. What’s your excuse?” questioned Thomas, fearing a bit, that Newt will get angry again. That was the second time the blonde called him Tommy and he didn’t really know if he liked it. Maybe it was just something British, to give a pet name to everyone. 

“Well, I couldn’t really sleep, so I thought about following your advice and go for a walk.” he answered with a small shrug. Despite the dim light at the stairway, Thomas could clearly see, that ‘not sleeping’ was a regular thing for the blonde boy. He had big purplish circles under his bloodshot eyes. 

“I suggested US to go for a walk if I remember correctly. Going out there in the middle of the night is foolish. This area is rather Harlem, than Wonderland.” argued Thomas. It wasn’t exactly true, but it sounded convincing. 

“I really don’t need…” Newt started but the brunette interrupted. Now he was the frustrated one and with the effect of the alcohol given to it, he couldn’t contain it.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! Just because I’m gay, I’m not jumping on every guy I meet. I’m not offering you company, because I want to shag you. I just want to hang out. You know, like normal people do.” Thomas stopped his monologue, when he saw Newt’s albescent face, but he didn’t apologise. He just stared at the other boy, waiting for a response. 

“Guess some company would do no harm.” was the blonde’s only answer, before he continued heading down the stairs. Thomas followed him with a smirk. 

When they reached the street Thomas pointed to the right. He couldn’t miss Newt’s limp as they started walking. “What happened to your leg?” he asked.

“Long story.” answered Newt, but after a short pause he added. “I had an accident and my crucial ligaments are damaged. So as my lateral ligament. And my patella.”

“Oh, sorry.” said Thomas with sympathy, although he didn’t understand half of it. 

“You don’t need to be sorry. It’s not your fault. You apologise too much for other people’s mistakes.” Newt answered with a soft smile. 

“My last apology was totally at place.” argued Thomas. “You don’t know a thing about me, yet I was very pushy with you. That’s one of my big mistakes. I always want to help, even if others don’t like it.”

“That should be your biggest mistake then.” was Newt's answer. 

They walked around town, and then ended up by the river. Thomas was happy to show his favourite places to Newt. They talked and talked, but Newt was the one, who kept asking the questions. Thomas told him about his childhood with Gally, and the hilarious adventures they got themselves into. He laughed a lot, thinking back of them and to his surprise; he managed to make Newt laugh as well. It was like talking to one of his old friends. Like, they’ve known each other for a long time. And the blonde had a rather nice smile.

“So how did you tell your parents’ that you are gay?” asked Newt. Thomas couldn’t see any disgust on his face, only curiosity. 

“Well, I tried very hard not to be gay for a couple of years. Then I just gave it up. I got tired of pretending. So I just told them. I was expecting shock and tears, but they were fantastic. They said they kind of knew it for some time. My Dad was not overexcited about it, but he accepted it and treated me the same as before. I think I’m really lucky. They are waiting for me to introduce the love of my life to them ever since, but I guess they have to wait a little while longer.” he finished with a grin.

“Is there a love of your life presently?” Newt asked casually. 

Thomas shook his head. “Nah, I’m a lot more careful since the accident with Simon.” 

“Yeah, I bet you are.” snorted Newt with clear amusement on his face. They stopped at Thomas’s favourite spot, when the blonde boy’s leg started to protest against the walking. They were still by the river and the Newt started to shiver. “Boy, I’m getting cold. What’s the time anyway?”

Thomas looked on his watch. It was 7.12. They’ve been walking and talking for more than 3 hours, without either of them noticing. “It’s time for the best moment of the day.” he answered with a wink, then pointed up to the on the left of Newt. He could see the boy gape, when he turned. The sun was rising up and the whole river turned into a shade of gold. It was a breath-taking view. “I love to come here in the morning. Always cheers me up. I know it’s mushy and oh so very gay, but whatever makes you upset, the sun comes up every day. You can start all over again, just like it does.”

Newt looked in his eyes for a moment, before looking up at the sky again. “Thank you, Tommy. It really is a beautiful sight. And valuable thoughts. Very gay, but valuable.” he added with a grin.

Thomas snorted. “Well, you clearly know how to ruin the moment. Time to go back.” They walked home, both of them lost in thoughts.   
“I’m working most of the Friday’s getting home around 3 am. If you ever find yourself in a need of a good walk again, you know where to find me.” Thomas offered lightly, when they reached Newt’s door. Whatever was in the blonde’s mind, he only nodded. 

***

Soon they got into a habit without realising it. Newt was waiting for Thomas in the corridor the following three Fridays. They walked and talked for hours. Newt started wearing a knee support to protect his leg. He loved walking and discovering new areas every time. He started to talk. Not as much as Thomas did and he clearly avoided talking about family and relationships. There was only one exception. Newt’s best friend, Minho. They were like Gally and Thomas, but they’ve known each other since the beginning. They went to university together, but Minho was a paramedics student. 

“…and he ended up running around the college with only his boxer. On his head! Just because he lost that stupid bet. He almost got expelled.” Newt had tears of laughter in his eyes. 

“Is he still in London?” asked Thomas curiously. 

“I guess so.” Newt replied with a hint of sadness in his voice. “I haven’t seen him for a while.”

“You miss him a lot.” It wasn’t a question. “Are you going back to visit anytime soon?”

“Nope, not in the near future. We still talk on Skype though every now and then.” said Newt. They just reached Newt’s door, when Thomas turned to him. 

“It’s 5am already. I’ll have a shift in the evening, so I need to have some rest. Do you have any arrangements for today?” asked Thomas with a plan in his head. 

“Not really.” was Newts only answer, which was reassuring.

“Cared to jump in for breakfast then? Gally is usually around, but he has an early date today and I hate to make breakfast for only myself.” That was only partly true. He made and had breakfast alone plenty of times. But he enjoyed Newt’s company. Why shouldn’t he invite him? 

Newt was silent for a moment, clearly weighting up his decision. “Why not?” he answered finally. The brownies you made were fab. I’m way too selfish to turn an offer like this down.”

“Meet you at 10 then.” smiled Thomas.

“10? Let’s just call it a brunch then.” chuckled Newt, before he waved goodbye. 

***

He really should have slept, but he couldn’t. He kept thinking of his newly found friend and their fragile “relationship”. He had to admit to himself, that Newt was attractive. His eyes were warm chocolate colour and he smiled a true smile, he had tiny wrinkles around it. Thomas liked it a lot. He was taller than Thomas and slender, but he had a lot of masculinity in him. His hair looked soft and shiny and lately Thomas caught himself itching to touch it. “What am I doing?” he asked himself loudly. “I shouldn’t really think of him that way. I need to pull myself together.”

When Thomas opened the door, his earlier thoughts slipped out of his mind for a second. He’s only seen Newt without his coat once so far and he wasn’t prepared enough for the pleasant sight. The blonde was wearing a dark green turtle- neck T-shirt and khaki trousers. He looked hot with his muscles visible underneath the thick layer. “You are such an idiot, Thomas! Stop staring at him!” he shouted at himself mentally. 

Fortunately Newt broke the silence before he could make a total fool of himself. “So, what are we eating?”

“Pancakes. But not the American ones. I prefer crepes.” he winked. As he couldn’t sleep, the brunette got everything ready. Butter, sugar, lemon, jam and Nutella were all on the table, next to a pile of steaming pancakes.

“Mouthwatering.” said Newt. Thomas thought the same, only he wasn’t looking at the pancakes. When he realised, we wanted to bang his head onto the table. He had that urge to harm himself quite often around Newt. “If I continue like this, I’ll end up loony”. 

After the first bite of strawberry jam filled pancake, clear astonishment was visible on Newt’s face.  
“That’s amazing Tommy! Bloody delicious. You should invite me for breakfast more often.”

“Thanks. I really love baking and cooking. Well, I’m a cook after all” Thomas answered a bit embarrassed. They ate in silence. He wanted to ask Newt a question, but he wasn’t brave enough. And watching Newt lick the remainders of jam off his fingers, clearly didn’t help. 

“Come on Thomas. You can’t be such a coward. It’s not like you were inviting him on a date. He’s just a friend. You just want him to have fun with your other friends.” he tried to convince himself. Then, before he could think it over again, he blurted out. “Hey, there’s gonna be a big birthday party at the Glade next Friday. My boss, Alby opened the place 5 years ago, so he wants to make a big show. I thought maybe you would like to pop in and have some fun.”

Newt didn’t look at him first. It was like he was in an inner conversation with himself as well. “It’s gonna be good, I promise. I will show you my favourite cocktails and you can meet my friends whom I’ve been talking so much about. You can come home anytime.” Thomas pressed. 

“Ok, ok, just slim it!” Newt told lifting up his hands. And like he couldn’t stop himself, he softly added. “Are we friends now?”

“Sure.” said Thomas confidently. “We’ve been on four dates so far and we still haven’t made out. That puts us on a friend status in the gay universe.”

Newt chocked on his tea. “Do you want to kill me? Idiot.” he added half- heartedly, but he had those cute wrinkles around his eyes. He was looking up, waiting for Thomas to take a sip of his coffee. “And yet I thought that five dates were the limit.” he added, when Thomas did.  
Now it was the brunette’s turn to choke. “Very cunning.” he said, still coughing. “So, are you coming?”

“Sure. I’m game. I haven’t been out for a while. I can still come home if your cocktails suck.” Newt answered. 

Thomas’s face lit up. He shouldn’t have been so obviously joyful about it, but he was never really good in hiding his feelings. And a tiny voice in his head tried to convince him, to forget about all his concerns and enjoy the moment. 

***

“What takes you so goddamn long? I swear you have changed at least four times, although we have a uniform.” Gally fumed. “We’re gonna be late and Alby’s gonna gut us alive.”

Gally was wrong. He only changed three times. He just wanted to look “ok” on the Glade’s birthday party. He ended up wearing his favourite sleeveless t-shirt with silver patterns on it under the black work suit. He could take the work clothes off after 1 am, when the true party started. 

“Stop the hissy. You were the one, who spent 40 minutes under the shower. When is Henriet coming anyway?” he retorted. Henriet was Gally’s girlfriend for four months now. Thomas didn’t really like the girl. She was finical and she always loved to be in the centre of attention. But he didn’t say a bad thing about her to his best friend. It was Gally’s choice after all. And he couldn’t really give a relevant advice about a girlfriend, could he?

“She’s coming to the Glade at around ten.” answered Gally with his cheeks slightly pink. 

“You seem serious.” Thomas said without the mocking tone now. 

“Yeah, we get on well. I’m gonna meet her parents on Sunday.” Gally mumbled. 

“Wow, you ARE serious. I’m happy for you.” smiled the brunette. The mood in the room started to get way too solemn for them, so he added quickly. “I didn’t know you were capable of civilised behaviour. Having a shower, meeting the parents… I’m very impressed.”

“Just shut it shuckface and tell me instead, who are YOU dressing up for?” said Gally, winding one eyebrow up. “Is it Mr. New Neighbour? What was his name again? Newt? He’s coming to the party, isn’t he?”

“I’m not dressing up for him! He’s just a friend and I want him to meet my other friends. You know, to get some other American pals.” Thomas meant to be convincing, but Gally didn’t buy it at all. 

“Bullshit.” was the other boy’s only comment.

***

The Glade was absolutely crowded with people. Thomas started his shift at seven and they were planning to close at around three in the morning. The bar itself was extended, the fridges were full of alcohol and the mood was high. Thomas, Justin, Gally, Ben and Linda were working tonight delivering fast and satisfying service for every customer. Linda, Teresa and Anna were there too, enjoying the party. Thomas was warming up slowly, mostly making Mohito’s, Cuba Libre’s and Pina Coladas. Every time the front door opened, he couldn’t stop himself from looking up. He knew he shouldn’t wait for Newt so much, but he was sure that the boy would like this place and the people here. 

Henriet arrived at 10 and sat by the bar, chatting with Gally, caressing his arm from time to time to show everyone that the boy belonged to her. Time passed by and it was almost 11. Thomas was pretty sure, that Newt will not show up, so he was concentrating on making the five the ‘Flaming Jesus’ cocktails, ignoring the opening of the door. 

“Wow, that looks wicked.” a soft voice said. “What’s it called?”

Thomas jerked his had up and smiled broadly, when he saw Newt standing in front of him, examining the shots with clear interest. “That, my friend is called the Flaming Jesus.” he answered with a wink, lighting the cocktails on fire one by one, passing them to the customers. “Cheerio, guys.”

“Ok, I get the flaming part, but how on Earth Jesus comes in the picture?” the blonde asked furrowing his brows.

“Isn’t it obvious? Four or five of these babies an you’ll definitely see him.” Thomas answered seriously. 

Newt snorted. “Oh I don’t think I’m prepared for that. What would you suggest me?”

Thomas was thinking for a moment looking at the blonde boy. He was wearing the usual turtle neck T-shirt, but it was a nice shade of brown this time. It matched his eyes perfectly. His hair was waxed, sticking to every direction, making him look younger and more carefree. Thomas was itching to pay a compliment, but he didn’t dare. But he could suggest Newt a good cocktail, couldn’t he? “Sex on the beach?” he asked innocently. 

“Don’t be rude, Thomas! You know I’m not that kind of boy!” said Newt laughing, but he avoided to look in Thomas’s eyes. “Show me, what you’ve got.”

“You asked for it.” said Thomas with a wink. “Yo, Justin, pass me cranberry and orange, please.” He filled a glass with ice and put it down in front of Newt. He measured and tipped the ingredients in it one by one, flipping the vodka bottle around. “First one is on me.” he said pushing the drink in front of the blonde. “Enjoy.”

Almost two hours passed. Thomas was busy, serving customers and Newt was in a deep conversation with Teresa, drinking his second Sex on the beach. 

Alby stepped behind the bar looking at his workers. “It’s time to start the party guys! Remember! Stay sober enough to serve customers.” he added with a grin. Then he turned to his customers. “Dear Ladies and Gentleman! We feel honoured by your presence on the Glade’s 5th Birthday party. It’s almost 1 am, which means we’ll start the dance party shortly. Be warned! Things could get a little wild from the ones who feel themselves uncomfortable around homosexuality.” 

While Alby opened a door on the left side of the bar, a few customers left. Thomas looked up at Newt. “Are you staying?” he asked nervously. 

“I don’t know. I’m not much of a dancer.” shrugged Newt. 

“Oh, pleeeease.” pleaded Thomas with huge puppy eyes. “You don’t have to dance. And I don’t want you to go home alone so late.”

“You know I can take care of myself, right?” asked Newt, but he wasn’t really annoyed. But Thomas just kept staring at him with sad puppy eyes, so he finally gave up. “All right, but only if you make another one of these.” 

Thomas’s face lit up, without his permission. “I’ll make you something better.” he said, patting the blonde’s shoulder. 

“The first drink inside is on the house.” shouted Alby escorting the customers to the other room. 

***

The spare room was mostly used for special occasions; it wasn’t open on the average workdays. It was an exciting playground for all the bartenders, especially for Thomas and Justin. They always made a show for the guests, and tonight wasn’t an exception. A DJ desk was set up at the back and there was a huge, circle- shaped bar in the middle with plenty of space inside for the bartenders’ to move. DJ Dominique was one of Alby’s oldest and best friend’s. He was a natural and had grand music mixes for cocktail making.   
Gally, Linda and Ben stayed at the door, looking out for customers, who wanted a beer or something else. 

“What do you want tonight boys?” the DJ asked when he and Justin took their places in the middle of the bar. Newt stayed behind, but Thomas could still see him. Not that he was looking. “Skillet- Monster.” shouted Justin, earning a few “whoooo’s” from the crowd. 

“Start stripping boys.” a male voice shouted from the crowd, but Thomas only smiled at it. The music started and he let himself feel the beat, that filled his veins with life and courage. He looked at Justin and nodded.   
Taking their shirt off was purely for the show. They looked hotter in sleeveless T-shirts and they could show their matching tattoos of a flaming shaker. Justin didn’t disappoint Thomas. He has a black top on with a huge rainbow coloured writing on it, that said. “I’m so gay I can’t even think straight.”  
They got about 30 glasses ready flipping them in the air, throwing them back and forth to each other. Bottles appeared and they juggled them to each other, filling the shakers up. Thomas really enjoyed himself. He made sure not to look at Newt’s direction. He didn’t want to get distracted, although he was dying to see the look on the man’s face.   
Naturally, they made a rainbow cocktail. When they finished, they bowed around and Thomas managed to spot Newt. His mouth was slightly hanging open, and clear amazement was written on his face. Thomas smiled happily, picking up two of the drinks, walking up to the blonde. “I’ll be back in a minute.” he whispered to Justin. 

“For you!” he said, passing the drink to Newt. 

“It was definitely worth staying.” said Newt with a nod, taking the glass. His hand brushed to Thomas’s and Thomas felt a soft spark of electricity. “Cheers.” They both tossed off their drinks. 

“You are very talented. I could watch you all night.” Newt told him, then realising what he has just said, blushed heavily. It was visible despite the darkness. “I mean watch you WORK. Not you.”

“And yet I thought sex on the beach was out of the question.” Thomas joked to ease up the situation. “I have to get back to work. Will you wait for me to finish?” the brunette asked hopefully. “I tried my best to make you stay.”

“Care to join us?” a female voice asked from Newt, pointing at one of the tables on the side of the room. It was Teresa. Gally, Henriet, Ben and some others were sitting around it. 

“Sure. Thank you!” answered Newt, looking surprised, but pleased. “Guess I see you later then.” he said patting Thomas lightly on the shoulder absent- minded. The spark came again, making goosebumps on the brunettes arm. He shouldn’t enjoy that. It shouldn’t make him lightheaded. But it did.

The following hours passed fast. Customers kept Thomas and Justin busy, but they made sure to make each other drinks from time to time. So when 3 o’clock came and serving officially finished, Thomas was tipsy enough to allow himself a goofy smile, when he spotted Newt, still sitting with his friends. He was in an argument with Gally about Chelsea. When he spotted Thomas a broad smile appeared on his face.

After Alby showed the last customer out, he sat down on one of the chairs next to them. “Well done, everyone! It was a spectacular night. We’ll divide the tips next Monday, but I can tell you, that our guests have been very generous. Happy Birthday to us.”

After they cleaned up most of the mess, everyone got ready. Ben offered to walk Linda home and Gally was going to Henriette’s place. Teresa hugged Thomas, before they left. “He’s very cute! Don’t mess it up!” she whispered. 

“There’s nothing to mess up.” Thomas protested. “He’s just a friend.”

“Friends don’t look at each other the way you two do.” she argued back, letting go of Thomas. 

They said goodbye to each other. Thomas hoped that Newt didn’t see the wink Gally gave him, before he left. They started to walk home in silence. Thomas was still thinking about what Teresa said. Did Newt really looked at him that way? Was there a chance? Did he want a chance?   
“Thank you for tonight.” said Newt. “I haven’t really had fun for a really long time. The last three years were hard and I think I’ve forgotten that nice people actually existed. You’re very lucky to have such good friends.”

“Now they are your friends as well.” Thomas reminded him. He wanted to know more about Newt’s past, but he didn’t dare to ask. The blonde boy always closed up, when they talked about it. He never mentioned anyone else from home, except Minho. 

“I don’t really feel like going home yet.” admitted Newt. He never talked about that either but Thomas was pretty sure that his nightmares still haunted him. 

“We can always go for a walk.” Thomas offered softly, making the blonde smile. 

They walked without a word, both deep in thoughts. Thomas felt a bit lost. He didn’t know what to do. He liked Newt. The boy was smart and funny. He knew something must have happened in his past, but it didn’t really matter to him. He was a good friend. Friend… no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t feel pure friendship, when it came to Newt. The man attracted him like a magnet. He wanted to caress his face, run a hand through his blonde locks, kiss his lips. And a lot more, but he didn’t dare to think about those. And he didn’t know what to do or what not to do. Newt’s feelings were a mystery to him. He was pretty sure that the guy liked him, but was he attracted to him like Teresa suggested? He was scared to lose the other boys hardly gained friendship.   
So they just walked in silence. 

Suddenly it started to rain. First it was just a light drizzle, but it turned into a hard shower in no time. “We better get under cover.” said Thomas and started to jog. By the time they reached to nearest gateway, they were both soaking wet. They looked at each other for a moment, then started laughing. Newt’s hair was a complete mess. Before he could stop himself or even think about what he was doing, Thomas touched the blonde’s forehead lightly sweeping a wisp of hair away. Newt caught his wrist. His cheeks turned slightly pink. 

“Sorry, that was uncalled for.” Thomas mumbled guiltily looking away. Newt was still holding his wrist. Thomas looked up to find Newt watching him. Their gazes locked for several long moments. There was a mixture of emotions in the blonde’s eyes. Fear, hope, vulnerability, insecurity. Thomas felt like he was looking into a mirror with his own swirling emotions. He tried to keep the importance of their friendship in his head, but it was slipping away. Just like the distance between them. He saw when Newt froze, clearly realising what he was about to do. Thomas stopped at once. Newt let go of his hand and he felt a lot colder immediately. 

“We should go home now.” whispered the blonde boy, averting his eyes. 

“Yeah.” Thomas agreed weakly. They headed home in silence. Thomas felt awful. He wanted to kick himself. Twice. He shouldn’t have let his control slip.  
They reached the house, climbed up the stairs, and turned to their corridor. Newt went first, but he stopped abruptly, like he ran into a wall.   
“What’s the m…” Thomas started to ask, but it was useless to finish. A young woman was sitting in front of Newt’s door with her legs pulled up to her chest. When she saw them, she stood up, looking uncertain.

“What are you doing here, Victoria?” asked Newt. His voice was shaking. 

“Nice to see you as well.” the girl answered sarcastically. 

Thomas couldn’t stop the words slipping from his mouth. “Who are you?

“Oh, didn’t Isaac mention me at all?” the girl asked. “My name is Victoria Newton. I’m his wife.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the second chapter. This are getting complicated. :) The story is unbetae-d, so sorry for it. :) Comment are very welcome. :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He has a what?” Gally asked bewildered. “I was almost a hundred percent sure, that he was gay.”
> 
> “I know, I know.” Thomas said gloomily. “Typical me.”
> 
>  
> 
> How is poor Thomas going to cope with this? Is it gonna be a happy ending?

The next couple of hours were clouded with emotions for Thomas. Shock, disappointment, anger, sorrow. He made a fool of himself. He let himself like Newt, let the blonde get close to him. After he saw that girl and learned who she was, his confusing emotions for the blonde clicked into place. He developed a stupid crush on Newt for Hell’s sake. And all along, he misunderstood Newt’s intentions like a stupid teenage boy. He was such a looser.  
Gally came home in the late afternoon. He only had once glance at Thomas, before he said. “I guess your morning wasn’t as good as mine. What happened?”

Thomas was grateful for the simple question. He expected Gally to pass a cutting remark on him, but it never came. Gosh, he must have looked horrible. So he told Gally everything, desperate to get some weight down from his chest. His walk with Newt, his stupid feelings and the embarrassing finish.

“He has a what?” Gally asked bewildered. “I was almost a hundred percent sure, that he was gay.”

“I know, I know.” Thomas said gloomily. “Typical me.”

“Well, I’m sorry mate.” Gally said honestly. “But you have to lift your ass up, and move on. You didn’t even date the guy. You can’t let the same thing happen, that happened when you split up with Sam. You’re young, attractive and there are a lot of men out there.”

“OK, OK, I get it. And I would feel a lot better, if you would get back to normal. You give me the willies.” Thomas said. “Thanks, though. You’re the best!” he added with a faint smile.

“I know. Now shut it. Let’s watch a movie.” Gally said, rolling his eyes.

“Actually, you gave me a better idea. I won’t behave like a sissy. I’ll move on. I’ll go out to Babylon tonight.” Thomas said with a grin.

“That, my friend, is a horrendous idea!” said Gally, covering his face. 

But no matter how hard he tried, Gally couldn’t talk him out of it. He left at 10pm, dressed up for fun, heading towards Babylon. It was the biggest gay bar in town and Saturday was always the wildest there. He was determined to pick up someone, and forget about Newt for once and forever. He only needed a few drinks to ease up. Maybe three or four. When he felt brave enough from the drinks, he hit the dance floor and soon he had a small crowd around him. They were buying him drinks and before he knew, he was totally wasted. 

Thomas was leaning to the wall with a blonde guy on top of him, whose name he couldn’t even remember. But at that point he couldn’t care less. Blondie was licking and kissing his throat and Thomas didn’t really think of anything. He tried to enjoy the moment. But it didn’t last long, because someone grabbed his shoulder dragging him out. 

“What the hell…”the blonde started behind him, but a familiar voice cut him short. “Just shut it. He’s leaving. Get over it!”

He looked up to see Gally holding his shoulder, guiding him out. But it wasn’t him, who spoke. A rather furious Newt was standing on his other side, still shooting nasty glances towards ‘Blondie.

They reached the door and fresh air hit him with a slap. His mind was fogged, but he was sure of one thing. Newt was beside him. 

“What the bloody hell are you doing in here?” Newt accused him as soon as they reached the alley next to the club. Gally was standing a few feet away. “You’re not that shallow.”

“Oh, belimme, I am.” said Thomas. His head was spinning and he started to get angry at the blonde boy. “I’m allowed to have some fun. And you have nothing to do with it. I thought I can be your friend, but I just can’t. No matter how hard I tried, I ended up having a crush on you. So just live me in peace and go back to your wife.” he wanted to say that, but half of the words didn’t come out right. But Newt seemed to understand his incomprehensive words.

“You have a crush on me?” was Newt’s only question. 

“Yup. I’m doomed. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you with it. I’ll stay away from you.” said Thomas, finding it pointless to deny it any more. 

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, you’re such an idiot.” Newt said. He held Thomas’s chin, turning his face to face his. “Why do you think I came here?” And before Thomas could say anything else, Newt kissed him fully on the lips. 

***

He struggled to stay asleep. He had such a beautiful dream. But he floated closer and closer to the edge of awakening. His head started to feel heavy. Aching. He cracked an eye open. The light was blinding and painful. But thankfully he was definitely at home.  
He tried to pull his thoughts together. It was hard. He went out to Babylon last night. He got very pissed. He met a guy, they made out and then…He could only remember whiffs of his sweet dream about Newt dragging him out of the club, shouting at him and then kissing him. It felt so real.  
Thomas shook his head, regretting it immediately, when a sharp pain attacked his temple.  
“Oh, I’ll never drink again.” he promised to himself. He couldn’t recall how he got back home, but he was lying in his own bed, with only a pair of boxers on.  
He smelled like a stillhouse, so he decided to have a shower. An hour and a half later he managed to get out of bed. Or rather get to the edge of the bed. Another 30 minutes later he could stand up. He stumbled out to the living room.  
Gally was sitting on the sofa, watching TV.

“Well, hello Cinderella.” he boomed. “Thought you’ll never wake up. It’s four in the afternoon.” 

“Just zip it, will you?” whispered Thomas. “My head wants to split in half.” He looked on the table next to the sofa. There were two mugs on it. He wondered, if Henriette was here.  
Gally clearly realised what he was staring at, because he said “Don’t worry Romeo. He’ll come back. He just has some documentation or whatever to finish.”

The words made no sense to Thomas. “What? Who?” he asked dumbly. 

“Well, Newt, who else.” answered Gally slowly, like he was talking to an idiot. Then he had a closer look at Thomas. “You totalled yourself last night, didn’t you? What can you remember?”

“Going out, getting pissed, meeting some blonde bloke, and then it’s all blurry and confusing.” he said honestly. 

Gally started laughing. “You’re such a looser. Newt finally kissed you and you don’t remember a thing.”

“Wait, what? Did he really kiss me? I thought it was just a dream. That truly happened?” asked Thomas in awe. 

“Yeah, you shank. He knocked on the door last night. He wanted to talk to you. When he learned you went out to Babylon he got nervous like hell. Told me he fucked everything up. He desperately wanted to find you. I ended up helping him, because I’m just so cool. When we spotted you in the club with that shuckhead, he lost it. He told the guy to get lost, dragged you out of Babylon, then kissed you, like a madman.” Gally finished with a smirk. 

Thomas knew his friend liked to exaggerate, but the story started to fill in the gaps in his gappy memory. Newt went after him and he kissed him. For real. He felt like he could explode from joy.  
“I need to see him.” he said abruptly. “I need to speak with him!” We almost reached the door, when Gally called after him. 

“Earth to Thomas. If I were you I would dress up. And I’d take a shower before. You stink!”

“Yeah. You’re right.” Thomas agreed gloomily. “Thank you Gally.” he said before he rushed into the bathroom.

“You’re welcome, shank.” replied the other boy rolling his eyes. 

***

42 and a half minutes later Thomas was standing in front of Newt’s door. He had a shower, washed his hair, put on some nice clothes, brushed his teeth twice and changed his clothes. He wasn’t nervous at all. Well, maybe just a little bit. Ok, ok, he was extremely nervous. He knocked on the door tentatively then stood from one leg to another, waiting for Newt. The door opened and the blonde’s head popped out with a smile. 

“Good morning!” he said opening the door wider. ‘Would you like to come in?’

Thomas could only nod. He walked into Newt’s apartment silently. The flat was the same as the one he shared with Gally, but the furniture was a bit different. Newt walls were soft green and a huge brown carpet lay in the middle of the living room. There were plenty of shelves next to the TV with books and DVD-s on them. The dining table was small and it took place in the kitchen. It was covered with books and documents. 

“That’s a really nice place.” said Thomas looking at Newt for the first time. 

“Glad you like it.” the blonde answered with a smile. He looked embarrassed. The white turtle neck T-shirt he was wearing, brought the pink shade of his face into prominence. 

“I think we need to talk.” blurted out Thomas, desperate to lighten the mood. 

“Indeed.” said Newt. “I think I owe you an explanation about my wife.”

Thomas shook his head. “I don’t think you owe me anything. It’s not like we are dating.”

“I know, but” Newt couldn’t finish his sentence. 

“You share whatever you’d like to. I know you have secrets, both of us do. And I’m happy to get whatever you’d like to give me.” said Thomas honestly. He was curious, of course, but he knew he mustn’t push Newt. The other boy has to give him the pieces of his life willingly, not under pressure. He wanted this to work. 

Seemingly Newt was out of words. He only nodded. “We’re getting divorced. We shouldn’t have gotten married at all. It was all just a show. We were friends. She was desperate to move out of the family house with his brother. It seemed like a good idea. It wasn’t.” Newt fell silent. Thomas could see something in the other man’s eyes, something deep and poignant. He wanted to know what it was. Maybe he will. In time. So instead of pressing things, he decided to tell his own story.  
“You know when I saw her I lost all hope I had. I really shouldn’t have hoped for anything on the first place. But I did. I only wanted to be your friend at the beginning. But I started to feel more, before I realised. I wanted to convince myself in the last few days that you might feel the same way. So when I saw her I thought you were a hundred percent straight and I’m all fucked up and stupid. Until…you kissed me.” 

“I know it was after out fifth date and I wasn’t sure if you remembered any of it.” said Newt with a small smile appearing on his face. 

“Well, to be honest first I thought it was just a dream. A very nice dream.” he said, stepping a bit closer to Newt. 

“But it wasn’t a dream. I couldn’t let you go. I needed to give it a go.” said Newt also stepping closer.

“I only have one problem.” admitted Thomas. “I didn’t have a chance to kiss back.”

Tension was growing wildly between them. Thomas was itching to grab Newt and kiss him. But he was waiting.

“Well I’m not really pointing a gun at you to keep you away, am I?” said Newt with a half-hearted shrug.

That was all that Thomas needed. He closed the distance between them with a leap, wrapped his arms around the blonde’s waist and sealed his moth with his own. Newt’s lips were warm and soft. He smelled like tea and sage. He tentatively folded Thomas’s neck with his arms, like he never wanted to let go. It was heaven.

When they had to part for air Newt looked into Thomas’s eyes. “Well, that was a lot better than the last time. Hail for the one, who invented toothpaste.”

“Oh, just shut it!” said Thomas laughing before he pulled the blonde into another kiss. 

***

Life was beautiful, life was wonderful, life was joy. Thomas couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. They started dating. Properly. They went out to the cinema, walked at the park, and went for a boat trip. They did their shopping together and whenever he could, Thomas went to the hospital to see Newt home. They stole kisses from each other in hidden alleys like innocent teenagers.  
Sometimes, when Thomas was working at the Glade, the blonde just popped up, so they could walk Linda home, before they went home together. They always held hands like they couldn’t take a step without the others hold. Thomas learned a new thing about Newt every day. The other boy was living in Abisko, Sweden for three years, before he moved here. He said he had a job there sometime after graduation that he enjoyed a lot. Although he liked to live there, but he couldn’t really find his place. And he detested the long and dark winters. So when they offered him a job in Nashville, he thought he should give it a go. And he wasn’t disappointed. Nashville General was a good hospital. They worked in rotation with the other PT-s, so he spent 3 weeks in every department. Currently, he was at the ICU.  
He also told Thomas, that when his parents’ learned he was gay, they were not too thrilled. ‘They wanted little Newtons running around the house. Well, I guess it’s up to my sister to fulfil their dreams.” the blonde said. Thomas couldn’t miss the way Newt said the word ‘sister’. Like it held a painful meaning to him. 

They were watching a movie at Newt’s place tonight. It was some kind of romantic stuff, but Thomas didn’t really pay attention. All he could focus on was the boy beside him. Newt was wearing the usual turtle neck T-shirt, a blue one this time. He rested his head on Thomas’s shoulder, eyes fixed on the screen. He had soft features and a perfectly shaped lip. Thomas wanted to kiss him, but he didn’t want to bother the other boy. He started too caress his shoulder instead, hoping to get his attention. Newt eventually looked up. “Hey, you don’t like the film Tommy?” he asked. 

“I do…” said Thomas with a pause. “It’s just…” he couldn’t finish. He felt his face heat up.

“What?” asked Newt softly.

“I can’t really focus on anything else than my boyfriend next to me.” he mumbled. 

“Shall I move a bit further away to give you some space?” Newt offered cheekily, smiling at the ‘boyfriend’ word. Thomas took every opportunity to call him like that. 

“Hell no.” answered Thomas tightening his grip on the other man. “I want to keep you as close as I can.” he said sincerely, looking into the blonde’s eyes. Sawing Newt’s blush, he leaned down for a kiss. It started softly, like it always did, but somehow, it wasn’t enough today. Thomas gaped when the blonde suddenly licked his upper lip softly. His lips parted with a gasp and the kiss deepened. It wasn’t new, but somehow it was different and it made Thomas’s insides heat up. His body started reacting. He wanted to pull Newt closer, kiss his jaw and his neck, wanted to get his hands under the other boy’s T-shirt to caress the soft skin there. But before he could make his move, Newt broke the kiss. He had the same lust in his eyes, but there was something else. Fear. Thomas couldn’t put a finger on it.

“It’s getting late and I’ll have to get up early tomorrow.” the blonde softly said, pecking Thomas’s lips, before he shifted away. “Shall we finish the movie?”

“Sure.” said Thomas trying to sort himself out, to look casual. The kiss left him hot and bothered. He wanted more. But he didn’t want to press Newt. He clearly wasn’t ready for it. Yet.

***

A month passed. They started dating an entire month ago. Thomas had a day out and he wanted to make their night special. He knew Newt was working till late, so he had plenty of time to get prepared. He made lasagne, because his boyfriend absolutely loved it. He made the dough and the sauce by himself. He bought a bottle of fine white wine. He wanted Newt to know, how important he was for him. In the past month his feelings deepened. What began as a childish crush turned into something precious and serious. Every cell of him wanted to be close to the blonde, kissing him, touching him. He didn’t really want to admit it to himself, but deep inside he knew he started to fall in love. But how? Newt still had a lot of secrets and they haven’t even slept together. It still didn’t matter. 

Thomas’s phone buzzed. He smiled when he saw the message from his boyfriend. “I’m home. You wanna come round? We could order some dinner.”

Thomas gathered everything on a plate and 5 minutes later, ha was knocking on Newt’s door. Or rather kicking it. His hands were full. 

When his boyfriend opened the door, he gaped. “Wow, Tommy.”

“Dinner is ready. Straight from the Edison kitchen.” Thomas bowed and put the tray on the dining table. “My boyfriend deserves something special for our first month together.”

“Very thoughtful.” said Newt stepping closer to Thomas. “I didn’t know you were counting. Did you make it?”

“Every bit.” answered the brunet proudly. “Well, apart from the wine. Can you guess what it is?”

“Lasagne.” answered Newt immediately. 

Thomas was a bit disappointed. “How could you guess it so easily?”

“Well, that fact that you got tomato sauce all over on your T—shirt gave me a clue.” he answered with a chuckle. 

“Oh, no.” said Thomas looking on himself, and then turning away. “I’m so lame. I was in such a hurry, that I’ve forgotten to change it.” He took it off without a thought, leaving himself half naked. “Do you have a spare one I could borrow or shall I hop back to my flat to get one?”

Newt didn’t reply, so Thomas turned back. The blonde was just looking at him, his mouth hanging open. “Sorry.” he said abruptly. “I’m staring, am I not?”

“I don’t mind.” Thomas said pulling Newt to him. “As long as you like what you see.” The other boy blushed. Thomas took it as permission and kissed his boyfriend. Newt wrapped his arm around him, deepening the kiss. His touch made Thomas burn. He needed more. He pulled the soft fabric of the blonde’s ridiculous turtle- neck T-shirt, desperate to get rid of it. But before he could make his move, something changed. Newt put his hands on his chest, pushing him away. “Please, stop.” he said in a shaky voice.

“What did I do wrong?” Thomas asked disappointed. 

Newt stepped away from him. “Nothing.” he said refusing to look at him.

“Than what’s the matter? I didn’t really push things. I’m not asking you anything you don’t want. But I like you and I want to be with you. Emotionally and physically.”

“I know.” Newt answered in a whisper. “But I just can’t. I tried to, I really did.”

“I don’t understand. I thought you liked me.” said Thomas confused. He could see something in Newt’s eyes he’s seen before. Vulnerability and pain. But then the blonde’s gaze turned cold. “I like you. You’re a good friend. And because of that, I tried to make you happy. I thought I could do it. But I just can’t. So I think we should end this.” 

Thomas felt himself getting angry. Sure, Newt had secrets. But he knew him better than that. And the words he said were flat out lies. “You know, I might not be the smartest person on Earth.” he started. He tried to stay calm, but he couldn’t. “But I’m not totally dumb. I knew you have feelings for me. I saw it in your eyes. And now you try to feed me with that big pile of shit?” He saw the hurt on Newt’s face as the pulled the neck of his T-shirt, but he couldn’t stop himself. “Why don’t you finally stop lying and keeping secrets from me? I deserve the truth from the person I…date.”

He saw it immediately that he pushed Newt too far. The blonde’s cheeks got crimson red. “You wanna know the truth, yeah Tommy? Well, true, you deserve it. I like you. More than I should. But I can’t stand the thought of you touching me. And it’s not because of you. It’s because of me. I’m a freak.” 

“No, you’re not?” protested Thomas. “Why would you be?”

“Just shut up, you don’t even know what you’re talking about.” cried Newt.

“You can’t dissuade me, with anything. I know that I want you.” argued Thomas.

“You don’t know a thing.” said the other boy, shaking his head. He was at the edge of tears. He looked at Thomas, than yanked down his T-shirt furiously. 

Thomas couldn’t utter a word. He was just too shocked. He thought he might never be able to say anything again. Newt’s left side and arm were covered with huge scars. It looked like the whole skin on them melted from neck to hipbone and on the left arm. Tears were rolling down on the blonde boy’s cheeks. His face was unreadable. 

“Leave.” he whispered turning his gaze away. 

Thomas wanted to say something. He wanted to tell Newt that it didn’t matter. “Hey…” he started but the other boy cut him short. 

“I said, leave.” he shrieked. “I don’t need your pity. I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I want you out of my flat and out of my life.”

It was all going terribly wrong. Thomas was struggling to fix things, but every move he made was just oil to the fire. “I don’t pity you.” he said honestly. And it was true. But Newt didn’t believe him.

“Get out!” he shouted coming to him, pushing him with full force towards the door. When they reached it, Newt opened it with a harsh pull, pushing Thomas away with his other hand. Tears kept rolling down his cheeks and Thomas felt his own eyes getting wet. “You have to listen to me.” he tried, but Newt was adamant. With one last push he shoved Thomas out, slamming the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello m lovely readers! Sorry to finish the chapter like this, but we need some tension between our guys, don' we?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How is this going to end? Do our two boys have a future, or are they doomed?

**Chapter 4**

_“How could everything go so wrong so fast?”_ wondered Thomas putting his forehead to Newt’s door. He tried to talk to the other boy, but he didn’t get any response at all. He dragged himself back to his apartment, feeling cold and lost. Like a piece of him was missing. “ _What had happened to Newt? It looked like he was burnt. But how? When?_ ” Thomas had a lot of questions in his head. He desperately wanted to talk to the blonde, to tell him, that he wasn’t a freak at all. Explain to him that for Thomas, he was the most precious and beautiful thing. That he was…that he was in love with him. The words almost slipped out of his mouth during their argument, but he knew better. Newt wouldn’t have believed him anyway. Sometimes he couldn’t believe it himself. How could he fall so fast and so deep for the man?

He tried to write a letter to the boy, but he couldn’t put his thoughts into words. He tried to call him, but it went straight to voicemail. “Please, pick up. We have to talk.” Thomas said, hoping that the blonde will call him back. He didn’t sleep all night, frantic to find a solution.

The next morning he tried to knock on Newt’s door again. No answer came. “ _Maybe he went to work._ ” Thomas thought. He went back to his flat, grabbed his coat and left to the hospital. Newt should be working at the ICU. When he arrived, he found out it was on the 5th floor. When he stepped out of the elevator, he saw a friendly-looking woman sitting behind the reception desk.

 

“Good morning Ma’am.” he said politely.

 

“What can I help you with Mister?” asked the lady with a nice smile.

 

“I’m looking for my friend, Isaac Newton. He’s working here as a physiotherapist.” he told.

 

“You mean the little Newt.” the woman asked with a broad smile. “Yes, he works here, but he reported himself sick this morning. You can find him at home I think.”

 

“Oh, sorry to hear that.” Thomas said with a heavy heart. “I’ll definitely visit him then. Thank you for your help Ma’am. Good bye!”

 

“Bye, darling.” said the lady.

 

***

 

Thomas had a shift in the evening. He was working with Teresa and Ben, but he just couldn’t concentrate. It was almost time to close, and the place was almost empty. He was picking up glasses, when his co-worker approached him.

 

“What’s the matter, Tom?” asked Teresa concerned after he had broken the third glass in two hours. Fortunately the bar was quiet today, so it didn’t cause any problem. But of course, Teresa noticed something was off. She always did.

 

“Nothing.” lied the brunet avoiding the girl’s piercing gaze. “I’m just tired.”

 

“Come on, it’s obvious that you’re not just tired. You seem completely lost. Did something happen between Newt and you?” the girl pressed.

 

“Yeah, we had a fight.” admitted Thomas. No one could keep secrets from the cunning girl.

 

“Don’t worry.” said Teresa reassuringly. “Anna and I fight sometimes as well, but we always make it up in the end.”

 

“This’s different.” said Thomas gloomily. “I think I hurt him really badly although I didn’t intend to.”

 

“You are incapable to hurt people, Tom.” Teresa pointed out plainly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

 

Thomas was surprised. Sure, he wasn’t an asshole, but he wasn’t an angel either. “Why do you say that?”

 

“Well…when I met you, I thought your kindness and you soft heart were just an act. That someday I’ll find out, who you really are. It took me months to believe it. That you are really selfless to the point of idiocy.” the girl giggled, making Thomas frown.

 

“Well, you make me feel like an idiot right now.” he pointed out..

 

“It was a compliment dummy. To make you realise, that you are a good person. That’s why it’s so easy to like you.” Theresa laughed. “Whatever you two fought about, it cannot be that bad, so spill it and I’ll try to help.”

 

“Thanks, Teresa. But I don’t really want to talk about it.” admitted Thomas. Exposing Newt’s secret felt wrong. “Can we just get back to work, please.”

 

Teresa must have realised how serious Thomas was, because she only nodded. But she couldn’t resist hugging the boy tightly, before she went back behind the bar.

 

***

 

A whole week passed, without any news from his boyfriend. Or was he still Thomas’s boyfriend at all? Newt didn’t pick up the phone, didn’t answer the door, like he disappeared. The brunet started to get very anxious. He couldn’t eat, he couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t concentrate on his work. He kept seeing Newt’s face, how broken and hurt he was.

He was lying on the sofa in the living room, not bothered to get up. Anything could wait, while he was drowning in worry and self-pity. We only looked up briefly, when Gally came home. His friend only frowned, when he saw Thomas’s state.

 

“I don’t know what going on, but it’s annoying. A lot. You two behave like stupid schoolgirls. Not getting together, then getting together, the splitting up. Like a Brazil soap opera. Just forgive him, or apologise if you think you did something wrong. You’re really depressing.” Yeah, that was Gally’s idea for a pep-talk. Pathetic. But he meant good. “He looks just as fucked-up as you, you know.”

 

“Wait, what, have you seen him?” Thomas sat up with a start stepping in front of Gally. 

 

“I bumped into him at the corridor.” answered his friend with a shrug.

 

“Did you talk to him?” Thomas asked anxiously.

 

“Just asked him, if he was ok. He said yes, but he looks bad. I told him to make up with you. He looked surprised, but he didn’t say a thing. He just went in his apartment.”

 

Thomas wanted to focus on Newt and tried really hard not to freak out about Gally’s social capability. It seemed Henriet was doing at least one thing right. She made his best friend a feeling human being. Impressive. “I’ll be right back.” he said before he rushed out to knock in Newt’s door. Once, twice, three times. “Please, Newt, I know you’re in there. We need to talk. Please, let me in.” he pleaded. But no answer came.

 

Another defeat. He went home with his head hanging low. When Gally saw his face, he just went to the freezer, pulled the vodka bottle out, and poured themselves two shots.

 

“Thanks, mate.” said Thomas sadly. He felt grateful for his friend.

 

“Hey, that’s what best friends are for.” shrugged Gally.

 

A thought occurred to Thomas, hearing the words. Best friends are always there for each other. No matter what. And Newt only had one best friend in the word. Minho. 

 

He went straight to his computer. “ _How many Minho’s could be there on Facebook_?” he wondered. Fortunately, not too many, and only one of them lived in the UK.  And he was a paramedic. Bingo!

It took Thomas a while to compose a decent letter to the guy, because he kept thinking about the possible outcomes. “ _He might already know what happened. Then he might not give an answer to me at all. Or he’ll tell me to go to hell.”_ But he had to try at least. He read it back one last time, before he clicked on the arrow to send it. It sounded ok. He didn’t write any details in it, just the plain facts.

“ _Hello Minho! You don’t know me, but I’m living next to Newt. He’s in a hard situation (you might already know about it) and I think he needs the help of his best friend. Please, try to get in touch with him, I think it would matter a lot. Thanks! Thomas_ ”

To his surprise, the answer came almost immidiately.

 

 

“Hey, mate! Where are you writing from?”

_“Nashville. We’re neighbours.”_

“Is that in America?”

_“Yup. Didn’t he tell you, where he moved to?”_

“Haven’t heard about him for more than 3 years…”

_“What? I thought you were best friends. He told me that”_

Thomas was shocked. He didn’t understand the whole thing. Newt told him they were in touch.

 

“We ARE best friends. He left London without saying goodbye. Haven’t heard about him since then, although I desperately tried to find him.”

_“Why did he do that?”_

Thomas wanted answers.

 

“…I don’t know how much you know him.”

 

Thomas didn’t see a point in denying what was between them.

_“We’re together. Or we were, until he shutted me out of his life, saying he was a freak.”_

“Did he tell you what happened to him?”

_“No, just showed me…then pushed me out of his door, without listening.”_

“I see…”

_“He’s avoiding me since then. I thought maybe his best mate could help him figure things out. So, maybe…you could come here…”_

Thomas knew he might be asking too much. The guy lived like 4000 miles away. It took Minho several minutes to answer, but when he did, Thomas felt a wave of relief was through his body.

“I have to ask a few favours, but I think I can make it… I’ll ask for an advance in salary.”

Thomas checked the tickets earlier. They cost a fortune. But he had a plan in mind. He saved up some money in the past few months to buy a car. But it can wait.

_“Hey, you take care of arranging your holiday; I take care of the ticket. I’m the one, who invited you.”_

“Huh, you sure?”

Thomas answered without a second thought.

_“Yeah. Just get back to me, when you know the details.”_

 

***

 

Minho arrived on four days later.

“Hey, buddy.” the Asian said, shaking Thomas’s hand. “Nice to meet you finally. I thought I’ll never get here.”

“Indeed.” agreed Thomas. He hasn’t seen Newt since that ominous night. And Gally said he was in a bad shape. He really hoped Minho could help. He waved a taxi down.

 

“Hope you don’t live far away. It feels my bum went to sleep forever. Sitting became my least favourite activity lately.” Minho complained.

 

“Don’t worry.” Thomas said, getting in. “It’s just around the corner.”

 

In the past few days they chatted a lot. Thomas briefly told him, how he met Newt and how the two of them got together. Minho in exchange told him the story of their friendship with Newt and how he missed the guy in the last years. He never told him a thing about the scars on Newt’s body though. He said it was the blonde’s story to share and Thomas could only agree. He said the same to Teresa.

When they arrived Thomas felt his heart beating fast. His palms started to get sweaty. What if this turns out for the worst?

“You nervous?” asked Minho looking at him. Was it that visible?

 

“Yeah.” admitted Thomas. “I just really want this to work.”

The Asian guy looked at him soundly, before he offered in a soft voice. “You are head over hills with him, aren’t you?”

 

Thomas looked at the other guy. Admitting his feelings to himself was one thing. Saying it out loud to someone he only knew for a few days was another.  He didn’t know if he was ready for it. But before he could give an answer a flash of realisation crossed Minho’s face. “We’ll make it work.” the Asian said patting Thomas on the shoulder.

Thomas went back to his own apartment, leaving Minho standing in front of Newt’s door. He couldn’t close the door behind himself though. He had to hear…

 

Minho knocked firmly on Newt’s door. No answer.

“Oy, Newt, open up. I travelled my ass down to see you. I need a shower and a decent cup of tea. So let me in, or I’ll break the door, I swear.”

I minute passed. And then the door opened with a crack.

 

“Minho?” Newt’s voice sounded amazed.

 

“No, it’s the Easter Bunny, coming early, you prick. Thought you could hide from me forever? Now are you going to let me in? We can talk over tea.”

Minho went in, Newt’s door closed and Thomas let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He closed his door, hoping for the best.

 

***

 

Hours passed by agonisingly slowly. At some point Thomas couldn’t stay home any more. He grabbed his jacket and flee form his apartment, desperate to get away from his feelings. He walked without a destination and ended up at THEIR favourite place by the river. He missed Newt. Missed their conversations, their long walks in town. Missed his soft hair, his warm lips. The way he had small wrinkles around his eyes when he was smiling. He promised to himself he’ll never fall in love again when Sam broke up with him. And there he was again. Only this time it was different. Thomas was afraid to examine his feelings up close. He was totally fucked up.

 

“Mind if I join you?” a hoarse voice asked him. He spun around in awe to see Newt standing just a few steps away from him. He REALLY was in a bad shape. He had dark shadows under his puffy eyes and his hair was messy. Well, messier than usually. Hi seemed very scrawny under his long coat. He looked at Thomas like he was prepared for a turn down. Thomas wanted to grab him and pull him to his chest, but he didn’t dare. He only shook his head. They were standing next to each other without a word, staring at the river.

Then the blonde started to talk, words pouring out of his mouth.

 

“I want to tell you a story Tommy. And I need you to listen to me, without cutting in.”

Thomas nodded, without hesitation.

 

Newt let out a shaky breath, than started to talk, like a machine. “I started uni when I was 19. I was carefree and so full of hope. Being gay didn’t seem like a big deal. Yeah, my family wasn’t exactly thrilled about it, but they accepted me as I was and it was all that mattered. I was in my third year when I first met them. They were, well still are twins, starting their first year as dietitian students. Victoria and Adrian. They were mostly inseparable. Adrian and me fell for each other, it doesn’t really matter when or how. There was only one huge problem. The twins’ older brother and father were totally homophobic. So eventually, the three of us came up with a plan… Minho didn’t like it from the very beginning, but I didn’t listen to him. Our plan seemed fab at that time. Shortly after graduation I proposed to Victoria than married her. She was desperate enough to get away from the family house to make that sacrifice for his brother. My family is wealthy, so Victoria’s father was more than happy to give her to me. My mum and dad…they were confused, but they accepted it, never asked a thing and bought a flat for us as a wedding gift. The plan was, that Adrian would move in with us shorty, so we could be together. Their family didn’t suspect a thing. I only told the full truth to one person except Minho, but only a couple of weeks after the marriage. My sister, Mary.”

 

Thomas knew something bad was coming. Newt was talking like he was reading his story from a book until now, like he wanted to stay far away form his emotions. But now he started to break down.

 “When she learned it, she went off the hooks. She said I was a filthy liar. That Adrian was her lover since the wedding. Of course I couldn’t believe her, but when I tried to talk things through with her, she ran off.” Newt’s voice trembled.

Victoria came an hour later from dinner with their family. She was...terrified. She told me Mary went there and accused Adrian in front of everyone. And…Adrian told them I took advantage on him. That he couldn’t do anything and he was sorry. Vic told me to leave town immediately, before his father and older brother come to seek revenge. Only for a short time, till things settle down. It felt like I was in a stupid soap opera. Things like that don’t happen to ordinary people. But I knew a needed to obey. That she wasn’t joking. Her family was truly insane. So I packed a few things and left for the train station. I was such a fool to think I can get away.” Newt chucked bitterly. “They were already waiting for me.”

Thomas felt his insides clench.

 

“I still can’t call back totally, what happened. I had the beating of my life, that’s for sure.” Newt was laughing without humour. “The one that leaves you with more broken bones you care to count. That’s where I have my limp from by the way. And the sadistic bastards had a special…surprise for me.”

 

The blonde went silent. Thomas almost thought he stopped telling his story, but Newt started to talk again in a lower tone.

 

“I was lying on my side when I felt it. Thought they pissed on me or something. But then I felt agonising pain when the fluid started to burn through my skin and flesh. Before I passed out I heard the brother say: ‘Now you will look like the sick bastard you are. No one will ever willingly touch you.’

 

There was a long pause in Newt’s speech again, but Thomas didn’t dare to speak.

 

“I woke up in hospital. Spent several weeks there. They told me I was doused with sulphuric acid. That the damage of my skin was…irreversible. Minho was a true friend. He stayed by my side all the time. So as my Mum, trying to convince me, that it wasn’t my sister’s fault.” Newt stopped again for a few seconds, before he could continue.

 

“My dad has connections, he always had. He found a hospital in Sweden, that had a department, specialised on acidic burns. So, when I felt good enough I travelled to Abisko. I wanted to get away from everything that reminded me of my old life. Unfortunately that included Minho as well that time. I was a patient in the Clinic for 6 months, going under several operations. Then I started to do volunteer work there. And eventually, they offered me a job. You kind of know the rest of that story.”

“Newt…” Thomas started, but the blonde cut in.

 

“No, let me finish. I need you to know this. Until I met you, I felt, that I was totally broken. I didn’t let anyone close to me. Gosh, I didn’t want you to get close to me either. But I couldn’t stay away from you. Your pure kindness surprised me and attracted me, like a magnet. When we started dating I felt hopeful again. I wanted to tell everything to you, but I didn’t dare. I was afraid of losing you and what we started. And when you took your shirt off and I saw your flawless skin…I thought you would be disgusted of me.”

 

Thomas’s heart was broken. Newt clearly didn’t know a thing about love. And no wonder the guy had trust problems. The person he loved betrayed him, gave him away like he was nothing. He felt sorry for the blonde, but he knew that saying that wouldn’t solve a thing.

 

“I was horrible with you that night. Didn’t even give you a chance to make your point. And yet you brought Minho here. For me. He told me everything. And he made me realise that I was a total dick.”

Newt’s cheeks went pink, when he looked into Thomas’s eyes.

“I don’t know how and why I’m worthy of your attention, but I’m ready to accept anything you’re willing to offer me.” he whispered, like he didn’t want the brunet to hear him.  

 

Thomas didn’t know what to say. He was never too clever with words. Newt poured his heart to him and now he just stood there, vulnerable, exposed. He had to offer him safety. Protection. Honesty. He told him his biggest secret and his darkest thoughts. It must have taken a lot of courage. He had to show him, how he felt. So he did the only thing he could. He pulled the blonde to himself, kissing him with every emotion he had. The kiss was tentative at first, but soon it became deep and demanding. Thomas pulled Newt closer, wrapping his arms around his partner’s waist. Newt laced his fingers in his hair, scratching his scalp. Like he too, never wanted to let go. When they parted for air minutes or hours later, they were both panting heavily.

“You know what you do to me?” asked Thomas, looking deep into the blonde’s eyes. He opened his jacket and put one of his boyfriend’s hands on his chest. His heart was beating fast, threatening to jump out of his ribcage. He also wanted to show the man, how attractive he found him. So, pushing his luck, he leaned closer to Newt, whispering the words in his ear. “You know what else you do to me?” When the blonde shook his head he pushed his hip forward, pressing his hard on to the other boy’s thigh. Newt let out a surprised whimper turning a bit, making Thomas moan when he realised his partner was in the same condition. “I definitely find you very, very attractive.”

“As much…as I’d like to continue, I think we should go home, before we end up spending the night in custody for indecent exposure.” whispered Newt, but he didn’t move.

 

“Ok, just give me some time…and some space.” answered Thomas in a daze, feeling like he just won the Olimpic Games. In every events. “My coat isn’t as long as yours.”

“Indeed.” smiled Newt, looking down between them.

“That’s not helping at all.” said Thomas with mocked annoyance.

 

***

 

They walked back together, never letting go of each other’s hands.

 

“So, where’s Minho?” asked Thomas curiously.

 

“Well, when I left him he was in a deep argument with Gally about football.” Newt answered laughing. “He threatened me not to come back without you. Thank you for inviting him by the way. I’ll pay you the price of the ticket.”

 

“No need.” shrugged Thomas. “It was a long time investment. But I think you two really need some time together. He’s only here for four days.”

 

“Tired of me already?” asked Newt lifting an eyebrow. But his smile was wide and honest. “And yet I thought your action by the river was a promise.”

 

“It was. But please don’t tempt me, because I know you need time with your friend. I can, well at least try really hard to be patient for a few more days.” said Thomas.

He had to remind himself of his words ten minutes later, when he was pressing Newt against the string-wall, kissing him senseless.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my story. Hope you enjoyed it. I really love your comments, so if you'd like to share your thoughts, don't hold back. ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is here, with Newtmas and Gally. No, not together. I don't know if I'll be able to continue uploading weekly, I had a bad encounter with a vase, that ended up with a small,but deep cut and eleven stitches. Ouch! But I'll try to go on, hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

Two nights after Minho’s arrival, Thomas was working, humming happily. The word was back to normal with all the pink, fluffy clouds. It was Friday night, the party was high and the Glade was stuffed with people. It was Minho’s last day in Nashville, he was travelling back the following evening. So Thomas suggested they should pop in with Newt to see how the Americans throw a party.

It was five past ten, when they arrived. Not that Thomas counted the minutes or anything. He just finished making a Kamikaze when he spotted them in the crowd. Newt looked…different. He was wearing a snow white shirt that practically shone under the UV lamps, with a scarf around his neck. And below that he had goddamn leather pants on. Tight-fit ones that followed the firm curve of his buttock. Thomas was the living statue of patience. Till now. That sight made him wanna explode. Drink still in hand, he finished it with one gulp.

“Oh, sorry.” he said half-heartedly, flashing an apologetic smile to the lady in front of her. “I’ll make you another one. On the house.”

 

By the time the two men reached the bar Thomas was already making their entry cocktails, desperate to get his eyes and mind off Newt. And the things he wanted to do with him.

“Welcome boys.” he said with a broad smile looking at Minho only. “You’re drink is almost ready, hope you’ll enjoy yourselves.”

 

“You bet.” replied Minho in awe. “This place rocks.”

 

Two minutes later he put the drinks in front of the Brits.

 

“What’s that?” asked Minho curiously, examining his glass.

 

“Long Island Ice Tea. Drink it slowly if you don’t wanna see starts in 5 minutes.” Thomas said, forcing on a calm expression, before he turned to Newt. The blonde had a puzzled expression on his face with a hint of sadness. Thomas couldn’t resist the urge to reach forward, putting his hand on the top of his boyfriend’s.

“Look at you.” he said, unable to say more. Anything he would’ve said would’ve been an understatement.

 

“It was Minho’s idea.” said Newt embarrassed. “I look like an idiot. You don’t like it, do you?”

 

“Are you kiddin’ me?” Thomas asked, tightening his grip on the blonde’s hand. “You look smokin’ hot. Everyone is staring at you.” Thomas said pointing around. “And you had my answer before you asked for it.”

 

“What? When?” Newt asked dumbfolded.

 

“Right in front of your eyes.” the brunette replied with a grin, pointing to the glass he passed to Newt.

 

“What is that?” asked the blonde, eyeing the strange looking cocktail.

 

Thomas leant closer to whisper in Newt’s ear. “Oh, that’s one of my favourites. It goes by the name of Orgasm.”

 

Newt blushed royally, but before Thomas could be happy for his little victory, the blonde looked him straight in the eye, before picking up his glass.

“Well then. Let’s swallow it all!” he said before finishing his shot.

 

“You’ll be the death of me” chuckled Thomas matching Newt’s blush with his own.

 

***

 

The last day of Minho’s visit came fast and it was hard to miss the sadness on Newt’s face.

“I wish you could visit more often.” he said with a sigh, standing in front of the airport. Thomas was there, but he politely stayed behind. He knew Newt would miss his best friend and he wanted to be there. Yes, yes, he knew it was very sloppy, but he didn’t really mind. Newt practically asked for it…well he only said he was going to the airport with Minho, but his eyes were pleading. As Thomas has seen it.

 

“Now that I actually know where to visit, I’d be happy. If I remember correctly you were the one, who disappeared from the surface of the Earth.”

 

“Yeah, yeah I know. I won’t do it again.” Newt said, ducking his head.

 

“You better not, because I swear I’ll find you and kick you to the next year if you do.” said the Asian with a threatening expression, before he turned to Thomas.

 

“Hey, can I have a word with you?”

 

“Sure.” said Thomas surprised.

 

“You don’t need to hear that.” he told Newt leaving the blonde with a suspicious expression on his face.

They went a few steps further away from the very offended looking Newt, before Minho started talking.

 

“I just wanted to thank you for everything.” he started.

 

“Nothing to thank for really. I should thank you. Whatever you told him, he let me back into his life, and I’m very grateful for it.“ said the brunet honestly.

 

“I mostly only told him the truth.” Minho shrugged. “If someone cares for you that much, you owe the person a chance. I didn’t tell him though that you were in love with him.”

 

Thomas felt blood rush to his face. “Is it that obvious?”

 

“Well mate, I see a lot of things during my work. Pain, fear, and on some rare and blissful occasions: love. I see it radiating from you. Newt is a different case though. He finds himself almost…untouchable and repelling after the things that happened. I really hope you two will be all right. He can be a total dumbass, but he’s the best person I know.”

 

“Is this the part when you tell me that if I hurt him you’ll kick my ass?” Thomas asked with a grin.

 

“No.” answered Minho with a menacing grin. “I’m a paramedic. I can make you …disappear, without leaving a trace.”

 

“Right, I’ll keep that in mind.” Thomas said making a mental note to himself not to get on the wrong side of the guy. “I wished we had more time to get to know each other. Maybe next time.”

 

“I’m looking forward to it mate.” said Minho honestly, patting Thomas’s back in a friendly way.

 

They walked back to Newt, who still seemed offended. And adorable. Not that Thomas would tell him. It was time for Minho to go in, so they said their last goodbyes before the boy went past the security gates.

 

“Say goodbye to Linda for me.” were the Asian’s last words, before he went through the departure gates.

 

“What did he tell you?” the blonde asked when they were alone.

 

“He mainly asked me to take care of you. I’ll manage I think. Hardly, but I’ll try.” he joked.

 

“I’ll try to behave then, I promise.” answered the blonde with a smirk.

 

“So, do you have any plans for tonight?” Thomas asked casually, but inside he was very anxious. Newt was easy-going and playful these past days. He could only hope that he won’t go back in his shell.

 

“You can come over if you’d like to.” Newt offered with a blush and shaky voice. His fear was palpable.

 

“Hey, I don’t want you to freak out.” said Thomas drawing him closer after they got in the cab the brunet waved down.

 

“You’re not. I just hope I won’t freak you out.” the blonde whispered back.

 

“Don’t be stupid.” said Thomas, kissing Newt’s messy blond hair.

 

***

 

There they were at Newt’s apartment, together and alone. And nervous as hell. Newt was a mess and Thomas was on the edge, because the blonde was nervous. It didn’t go very well and the brunet was desperate to ease up the situation.

 

“You look like I’m about to murder you. I don’t really do that until the 50th date, you know. We still have a few more left until then.” he joked.

 

Newt chuckled. “Are you counting?” He stepped closer to Thomas, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. “I can’t loosen up. Sorry.” he admitted sadly.

 

Thomas had an idea. “A good massage might help.” he said, putting his hands on Newt’s shoulders. He felt the blonde freeze, so he continued. “You don’t have to take your shirt off.”

 

Newt gave a shaky nod. He was still a pile of nerves. “A massage won’t hurt I guess.” 

They got fairly comfortable on the big brown carpet in the apartment with only dim lights switched on. Newt sat with his legs crossed, and Thomas was kneeling behind him.

“Is the skin sensitive?” Thomas asked tentatively.

 

“Nah, I can hardly feel anything there. The nerves are totally wrecked.”

 

Thomas started to rub Newt’s shoulders gently through the fabric of his turtle- neck T-shirt. It took a long time before the blonde started to ease up a bit. His muscles were rock solid and tense, but Thomas enjoyed massaging him nevertheless. Newt’s scent surrounded him, his body heat radiating toward Thomas, calling him to get closer. It was not long before he couldn’t resist placing a kiss under the blonde’s ear, where his jawline began. His boyfriend let out a soft sigh, which gave Thomas some confidence. His hands never left the blonde’s shoulders, but he started to plant soft kisses on his face. When Newt seemed okay with it, he went for more. He kissed the blonde’s neck, than, not being able to resist it, he stuck his tongue out licking tasting the soft, salty skin under him. The reaction was instant. Newt rose up, spun around and kissed Thomas with force, pushing him down on the carpet. Soon he was on the top of the brunet, never breaking the kiss. After a couple of minutes, he gave the brunet’s T-shirt a tug, so Thomas sat up to get rid of it, hoping that his boyfriend was really into this and not just putting on a brave face. Before he could do the same with the blonde’s shirt though, Newt pushed him back to the floor, to continue kissing his body.

 

“Mmmm, someone is impatient.” the brunet said in a husky tone. Newt only hummed. He softly bit Thomas’s neck, tearing a whimper from its owner. But he didn’t stop. He started to explore Thomas’s body, kissing and sucking his skin, drawing soft moan’s from him. As Thomas saw, Newt enjoyed it just as much as he did. By the time he reached his boyfriend’s belly button, Thomas was lost in the sensation. His member was fully hard, seeking for attention. He desperately needed the skin contact with Newt’s body.

 

“Do you think we could get rid of your shirt now, so I could give you some attention as well?” Thomas asked with a playful smile. Gosh, he didn’t know where Newt’s confidence came from, but he hoped it will last.

.

“No.” answered Newt flatly, leaning back. Thomas’s face fell. “I can take my trousers off maybe?” he offered, seeing his boyfriend’s face.

 

“It’s really unfair that you get to have all of me and I can only get half of you.” Thomas protested. He didn’t want to play along with Newt’s plan. He was interested in the blonde’s whole body. He didn’t want Newt to think otherwise.

 

“You’ll get the better half. The upper half is not much fun.” said Newt looking away from Thomas. The brunet cupped his face, drawing him back down.

 

“Stop thinking like that and just give me a chance to show you how hot and bothered I can make your whole body feel.” he offered softly. Newt looked in his eyes for a second, before he closed them. He sat up with his legs on either side of Thomas’s outstretched ones and lifted his arms up, like a child. It was endearing. Thomas sat up and took hold of the sides of the ‘oh so hated’ turtle-neck shirt. He started to pull it down slowly, looking at Newt.

The blonde man’s skin was smooth and white like the surface of china. It was breath-taking. He smelled like sage, Thomas noticed again. Thomas inhaled deeply, letting the scent calm him down. It was truly pleasurable. Yes, the scar was there, covering most of Newt’s left side like a suit. But it was just the part of him. Thomas didn’t feel anything odd about it. He was only sad that it affected his boyfriend that much.

 

He realised that Newt wasn’t looking at him anymore. He was looking at the door instead with slight panic on his face, like he was searching for an emergency exit. Thomas reached up to cup his face turning it to himself. Newt eyes were bright with tears, threatening to roll down on his cheek at any minute. His mouth was a thin line of frustration like he was upset and angry at the same time. Any word would have been unnecessary, Thomas knew they couldn’t convince the blonde.

 

“Actions speak.” he thought, before he gently pushed his partner down on the carpet leaning above him. Newt didn’t say a word. Then Thomas started to plant soft kisses on his face. He went a bit down with every kiss, mapping his boyfriends body. He kissed Newt’s neck on both side drawing a shaky breath from the blonde. But he didn’t want to stop. He needed the contact, the exciting feeling of the warm body under his lips. So he went on to Newt’s collarbones, kissing and eventually licking the skin. When he took Newt’s right nipple between his teeth a surprised moan left his boyfriends body. It went straight to his cock, making his boxers and trousers uncomfortably tight. hand found Newt’s thigh, rubbing small circles on it through the fabric of his jeans. He kept heading down and it was not long, before he reached the rim of the blonde’s trousers, gently biting the soft skin there. By that time, Newt was panting and Thomas happily discovered the bulge in his partner’s pants. God, he wanted to get underneath the fabric badly. He looked up, searching for Newt’s eyes. When he met the chocolate irises, he silently asked for permission. His boyfriend had a lovely blush on his cheek; his eyes were dark with lust. He only gave a nod.

 

That was the detested moment, when Thomas’s phone started to ring. Recognising the tune, he knew immediately, that Gally was the caller. It was surprising. His best friend hardly ever called Thomas. He usually texted or used Viber to contact him.

 

“Shit.” Thomas cursed. “Sorry, I should have put in on silence mode. It’ll stop in a minute.”

 

“Don’t you want to pick it up?” asked Newt, propping himself up to his elbows. “It might be important.”

 

“No, no. I’ll call him back later.”

 

When ringing stopped and Thomas was more than ready to continue his actions, but the ringing of his cell hindrance him again. And again. “ _This is not happening with me!_ ” Thomas thought. “I’ll switch it off.” he said with an apologetic smile, reaching for the hated object is his back pocket. When he touched the power button, the screen came to live.

 

“You really should call him back.” said Newt.

 

Thomas knew the blonde was right. It has to be something important if Gally called three times. He pushed the call back button, hoping it was a life or death issue, promising himself to strangle his friend, if it wasn’t.

 

Gally picked up at the third ring. “Thomas?” His voice was weak and hoarse. Thomas started to panic.

 

“Hey man. What’s the matter?” the brunet asked.

 

“I was just wondering if you wanted to go out for a drink…or something.” replied the other boy. Something was terribly off.

 

“Gally, spill it. What happened?” Thomas asked again. Gally never spoke like that. And nine out of ten times, Thomas was the one who suggested programs.

 

“Henriet dumped me…”

 

“What?” Thomas asked surprised.

 

“It’s not that I feel shitty about it or anything. I was just wondering if you’re up for anything tonight.” said the boy with a little sniff. Thomas knew it was a big fat lie. Gally would have never called, if he didn’t need support.

 

“Where are you?” the brunet asked, regretting in advance what he was about to do.

 

“Home.”

 

“I’ll be there in 20.” said Thomas. He planned to go down to the local shop to buy a sixpack and some crisps. Emergency pack in case of a broken heart.

 

“Ok.” was Gally’s only answer, before Thomas hung up on him. He was not in a hurry to look in Newt’s eyes. He wasn’t sure if his partner will be mad at him or not. But Gally was his best friend. He was there for him, when they broke up with Sam.

 

A light hand touched his bare shoulder and he looked up to find Newt staring at him with concern in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry. Henriet dumped Gally. He’s in a bad shape. I just…, just need to go.” Thomas mumbled, ready for an outburst from the blonde. Newt just gave him his trust and he’s leaving him here.

 

“Can I do anything?” asked Newt, earning a surprised glance from his other half. “Why are you staring at me like that? I’d go without a second thought, if it was Minho.”

 

“Thank you for understanding.” said Thomas, stepping closer, wrapping an arm around his boyfriend. He rested his head at the crook of Newt’s neck, inhaling deeply. “God, you smell so good. I want you so badly.”

 

“I’m patient.” said the blonde with a sigh. “No, I’m not. I’m absolutely impatient, but I can wait a bit more.” he chuckled, pressing a kiss to the shorter boy’s temple.

 

Thomas put back his T-shirt and watched with a hint of sadness as Newt did the same. He pulled Newt closer for a last kiss, before he left to put his best friends’ life back together.

 

***

 

When he arrived home from the shop, Gally’s sight surprised him. The boy was a mess. His face was bitter and his eyes were red and puffy. He must have been crying. It was frightening. Gally never cried. Really. He was hard as a rock. Henriet wracked him badly. The bitch.

 

“You look like shit, man.” Thomas said to lighten the mood.

 

“Slim it. At least it’s not permanent for me as it’s for you.” Gally answered.

 

“You wanna talk about it?” the brunet asked.

 

“There’s nothing to talk about. She dumped me. She said I wasn’t mindful enough. That she deserved more attention. That I never said that I loved her. And she wanted me to leave my job at the Glade, because of the flirty customers.”

 

“That’s just bullshit. She clearly liked the money, that came from it. And if you say ‘I love you’ too many times, it’ll just lose its meaning.” Thomas argued immediately.

 

“I just really thought we were good. That she liked me the way I was.” Gally said with a shrug. “I really liked her.”

 

“Well, we can still try to figure out how you can get her back.” offered Thomas, secretly hating the idea. Henriet was a witch. Gally deserved better. But if his friend wanted her, he was ready to help.

 

“She dumped me, because she fell for someone else.” Gally said in a dead tone.

 

“She what?” Thomas was out of her mind, but she didn’t say ‘stupid bitch’ out loud for his friend’s sake.

 

“I don’t wanna think about it. I just need some distraction.” said Gally in a pained voice.

 

“Thank you called for the perfect man.” said Thomas with a grin. “I’m the king of distractions. So what do you want? Mind-blowing gay sex with the hottest guy on Earth to forget about girls forever? Or playing on the Xbox?”

 

“Although the first offer sounds impressive, I’ll stick to the Xbox. I don’t think you could get the hottest guy here in the next 10 seconds.” said Gally with a small smile.

 

“Actually I could. But he’s mine.” answered Thomas, thinking back to Newts slim, but muscular body.

 

Gally snorted. “Let’s put a game in, before you send me into a deeper depression with your gushy assertions about your boyfriend.”

 

Four hours, three beers and 4 tequilas later both boys were at ease, sitting on the couch, watching TV. They got bored of the video games after two hours and ended up watching a pathetic excuse for a horror movie, the Dreamcatcher. 

“Wow, that’s the worst movie I’ve ever seen. Even I could have directed a better one.” said Gally, massaging his temple. “But as crazy as it sounds, I’m feeling better.”

 

“Good that.” said Thomas, patting his friend’s shoulder.

 

“At least one of us is having a good love life. You’re getting on well with Newt, aren’t you? Just tell me the basics and spare me the details.” said Gally in a mocking tone.

 

“We’re getting on perfectly. And I wish I had any dirty details to share.” laughed Thomas.

 

“You two haven’t…?” asked Gally in a surprised tone.

 

“Good things come to those, who wait, my friend.” winked the brunet. “We’re taking it slow. He had some bad experiences in the past. But he’s worth waiting for. And tonight was…promising.”

 

“Wait, what, tonight?” Gally gaped. “Did I interrupt your…thing?”

 

“Our thing?” Thomas chuckled. “How very mature synonym for passionate love making.”

 

“Thank you. I desperately wanted to prevent thinking about you, naked with Newt, having sex. No I have the image in my head.” Gally pouted.

 

“Does it turn you on?” mocked Thomas, putting a hand on Gally’s thighs.

 

Gally snorted, sweeping the brunet’s hand away. “The teapot turns me on more, you shank.” After a small pause he turned to Thomas. “I’m sorry for ruining your night, mate. I didn’t know you were occupied.”

 

“Don’t be a slinthead. You’re my best friend. And you didn’t ruin a thing. A little more waiting will just make our first time more heated.” the brunet said.

 

“Bah, just slim it. I never told you any hints and details about our love life with Henriet.” Gally fumed.

 

“No wonders!” Thomas said, before he could stop himself.

 

“Why do you say that?” accused Gally, but there was no anger in his voice, just curiosity.

 

Thomas had some bravery in him, from the alcohol he drank. And anyway…friends were nice and polite to each other. Best friends were honest and straightforward. It was time to tell his best friend, how he felt. “Well, your relationship didn’t really seem heated at all, from the outside. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but she was overprotective and paranoid. And cold as a stone.”

 

It took some time for Gally to take in the information. He too, seemed at ease after the amount of alcohol they drank. “Well, to be honest, sex wasn’t too…fascinating.” he admitted. But I thought she just needs time to warm up.”

 

“Come on, Gally. People need days or maybe weeks to warm up and let themselves go. Not months.” argued Thomas.

 

“Yeah, I know. But it seemed ok from the inside. Now, that I have some distance from it though…”

 

“It looks like, you’ve been sleeping with Frosty the snowman?” offered the brunet.

 

Gally started to laugh uncontrollably. “You’re such a jerk, Thomas. But I think you’re right.”

 

“Well, believe me, girls suck. If you need some advice about guys in the future, you know where to find me.” Thomas said, laughing as well.

 

Gally just shook his head with a grin. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmmmm,sorry? I guess we have to wait for smut a bit more. But not too much I promise.   
> Comments keep me going, so they're very welcomeD and loved as always! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Everyone, hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my very first work in the Maze Runner Universe. English is not my firstlanguage, so I'm pretty sure my work has mistakes and it's unbeta'd, so if you have any remark, you're more than welcome to share. :)
> 
> I was greatly inspired by Newt's song 'The Flares', that why I gave the fic that title.


End file.
